Sights And Spectacles

The Idler

THE IDLER GARDEN
A SERIES OF REVOLUTIONARY DIALOGUES

The Idler magazine presents its very own Grove: a debating space and medieval garden. During the course of our programme of dialogues, our poets, philosophers and writers will ponder the big philosophical issue: how to live.

Appearing over the weekend will be Idler editor TOM HODGKINSON, Crass co-founder, poet, essayist and artist PENNY RIMBAUD, New Economics Foundation director ANDREW SIMMS, NEF associate and medievalist DAVID BOYLE, QI writer JOHN MITCHINSON, authors DAN KIERAN and JAY GRIFFITHS, brand-burner NEIL BOORMAN, plus poet and playwright CLARE POLLARD, and historian JOHN NICHOLSON. Come to the Grove and join us for some revolutionary philosophical debate. Plus lunchtime poetry and music in KIRSTY KNIGHT-BRUCE’s medieval herber.

FRIDAY

2pm HANNAH ARENDT
CLARE POLLARD and JOHN NICHOLSON discuss Arendt’s work on propaganda, brain-washing and the banality of evil, and how we can resist social conditioning.

4pm THE TROUBADOURS
Who were these medieval poet-balladeers and why are their ideas relevant today? DAVID BOYLE, author of Blondel’s Song, and TOM HODGKINSON discuss.

6pm BURNING DESIRE
NEIL BOORMAN, author of Bonfire of the Brands, describes why he decided to burn his clothes and smash up his BlackBerry. With DAN KIERAN.

SATURDAY

2pm TAMED WORLD
DAN KIERAN, author of I Fought The Law, and JAY GRIFFITHS, author of Wild, on how we can resist oppression.

4pm ALDOUS HUXLEY
PENNY RIMBAUD and TOM HODGKINSON discuss Huxley’s radical ideas, from Brave New World and The Doors of Perception to his utopian novel, Island.

6pm WILLIAM MORRIS
JOHN MITCHINSON and CLARE POLLARD discover the revolutionary thinker and activist behind the wallpaper designer and relate his ideas to today’s issues.

SUNDAY

2pm WHY TESCO’S IS EVIL
ANDREW SIMMS, director of the New Economics Foundation and author of Tescopoly, argues that Tesco’s is immoral and discusses ways to slay the monster. WithTom Hodgkinson.

4pm DH LAWRENCE
JOHN MITCHINSON and PENNY RIMBAUD on Lawrence’s work, life and relevance today.

6pm HOW TO SMASH THE SYSTEM
All our speakers debate the alternatives to wage slavery and the death of the spirit.